


even on your darkest days

by spiderstars



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Aunt May is sick and in the hospital, Comfort/Angst, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Hurt Peter, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I love you 3000, I'm Sorry, Irondad, NOT STARKER - Freeform, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Angst, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Peter Parker is a Mess, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Sad, Sad with a Happy Ending, She's dying and Peter needs his dad, Sick Character, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony is a good dad, Whump, im a sucker for fluff tbh, ya nasties
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2020-10-17 10:02:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20619209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiderstars/pseuds/spiderstars
Summary: Peter's concern increases as he notices the sudden drop in Aunt May's normal upbeat personality. She had simply said she probably had some sort of cold or flu, but Peter sensed something deeper that he couldn't really grasp. On what seemed like a perfectly normal and typical summer patrol, Peter makes his way back to his apartment only to find out that one of his worst nightmares was coming true.And he was not even remotely prepared for the events that would take place.(Or, Aunt May becomes seriously sick and is near death, and Peter seeks comfort in his father figure and mentor, Tony Stark. But, everything soon goes from bad to worse in only a matter of days.)





	1. hoodie weather

**Author's Note:**

> title based off of this song/edit!!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6Dh1VYrp8o  
-  
so yes, i am back, im sorry i haven't had any ideas for fics lately :( but this one popped up as an idea because of a personal thing that im going through that is similar this? so it's a little bit of a expression of my feelings for the beginning couple chapters- then i will get creative *wink wonk* :>
> 
> but- AGH i was so devastated by the whole marvel/sony deal!! it drives me insane >:( but i hear that negotiations are still ongoing so i hold hope!
> 
> oh yes, more tags will be added eventually, but i don't want to spoil the story!
> 
> anyways, enjoy!!

The growing dusk caused a significant drop in the temperature in Queens, forcing an uncomfortable shiver shimmying up Peter's spine. Although, Peter did enjoy the September month; it always meant he could wear his sweaters and hoodies without gaining weird looks from his classmates or even his Aunt for that matter. Peter also loved October, which basically solidified the "hoodie weather" time of year since the temperatures dropped even further then.

His mentor was the one who gave him the strangest of looks when he wore his hoodies in 70 degree weather.

_"Kid, aren't you boiling underneath that thing? You're making me sweat just by looking at that." Tony huffed, pointing at his maroon hooded sweatshirt, but hinted a smile at him._

_"No, Mr. Stark! Hoodie weather is here! It's time to embrace it." A smirk crossed over Peter's lips, watching Tony's priceless reaction._

_"Pete, it's the middle of August, you're going to overhea-"_

_"Ah ah!" Peter wiggled his finger in front of Tony's face, earning himself a concerned frown. "It's actually August 31st, which means technically September starts only in a matter of hours... Also known as the start of Hoodie Weather!" Peter crossed his arms and closed his eyes, a cheeky grin plastered over his features._

_Tony let out a sigh slash chuckle and closed his eyes as if to pretend he was somehow disappointed or even embarrassed. "Ah, kid, what am I going to do with you?"_

  
Peter perched on a rather small, rusty light pole hanging over the never-ending bumper-to-bumper traffic in the streets of New York City. Dry, bright colored leaves rustled and whirled around along the side-walks. Even though it was only mid-September, most of the leaves on the trees had already transformed into bright shades of reds, oranges, yellows, and even some purples.

A small, childish giggle snapped him out of his trance. His chocolate-brown eyes wandered down to see a little blonde-haired girl with a baby-blue jacket, and typical Santa hat covered her head and ears. This little detail made Peter let out a small, almost inaudible chuckle. It was just a little bit early for the Christmas season, but her spirit and obvious excitement for the holiday washed out any oddness of the sight. Her bright, hopeful, and adorning blue eyes gazed up at him as his legs swung back and forth in the breeze. A smile crept across his lips, even though the little girl couldn't see it.

Peter tilted his head slightly to the girl, observing her carefully to make sure she was physically alright. The girl tilted her head as well, and scrunched up her little reddened nose. "Hey there," Peter spoke softly, the smile he had could almost be heard in his tone.

The girl giggled and shielded her eyes with her little hands. She couldn't be more than 5 years old, and with that thought, Peter looked around for any signs of her parents or someone who would be given the responsibility to look after her. But, there was no-one.

Peter blinked, and hopped down from the pole as gently and carefully as possible to not scare the little girl. Once both feet touched the cement, he knelt down to her level and spoke softly. "Do you know where your parents are? Are you lost?" Peter's voice sounded higher than usual as he spoke to her, but he couldn't care any less about that.

She peeked through her little fingers that were still covering most of her face, but a bright smile still emitted from behind them. After a few moments, she lowered her hands a little to reveal her rosy cheeks and bright blue eyes. She shook her head, her body swinging with the action. But then, her little smile faded and her brows creased, "I don't have a mommy or daddy anymore," Her shaky little voice sounded.

Peter's heart crumpled a little, he knew what that was like. He very clearly knew. He was about to open his mouth and say something to comfort her, but she spoke before he could.

"Where is your mommy and daddy?" The innocence in her voice as clear as day.

Peter wasn't expecting that at all, and was actually taken aback as he drifted into a world of memories.

Although, he didn't really know his parents very well before the accident since he was very young, but he could remember bits and pieces about them. He would always rush up to his mother, Mary Parker, when she came home from work, and she would pick him up and brush his wild curls out of his eyes. She would tuck him in every night, pressing a kiss to his forehead and place all his stuffed animals around his pillow. She would tell him that they were 'watching out for him' while she and dad were away. He could always rely on his mom, and he knew that he loved her dearly.

His father, Richard Parker, wasn't home as much as his mother was. But, when he did come home, Peter would drop anything that he was doing and run as fast as he could to see him. He would crash into his leg and wrap his arms around him. His father would pull him up and poke his nose soon after that. They would always watch movies together, and eat popcorn and lots of other junk food. They would bundle up on the couch, Peter resting his head against his father's side while beginning to dose off. Richard would sometimes fall asleep during a movie as well, and Mary would have to wake him up so that they could actually put Peter in a real bed.

Everything changed when the accident happened, when they were killed in a plane crash on a business trip. He remembered being put in a car seat in Aunt May and Uncle Ben's car, constantly asking where his parents had gone. _"We'll talk about it when we get home, honey, try to get some rest." _She would say, giving him a weak smile although filled with what looked like emotional pain and sadness.

He didn't truly understand his parents' death for a good while until after a few months of settling into May and Ben's home. Since he was little, it didn't seem to register as being real, but it didn't hit him as hard as a family death would hit him as a teenager... Which was what happened with Ben not a few months after becoming Spider-Man.

Ben's death ripped at the seams of his heart, and he never truly recovered. Nothing was worse than watching May's crumple to her knees at the news of Ben's passing. He had felt so useless, so helpless when she most needed someone to be there.

But, it had gotten better over time, and he swore to always be there for May. She was the only person he had left, and the same went for her. He needed her, and she needed him. It was so obvious how much they relied on one another, and he loved her dearly.

He was reminded of his current position as the girl tilted her head, still waiting for an answer from him.

"Well," Peter gave her a small, sympathetic smile from beneath his mask, "I don't have a mommy or daddy either,"

The little girl's jaw hung slightly, as if shocked that THE Spider-Man could have something in common with her, "You don't?" she replied in her squeaky little voice.

The spiderling shook his head, and there were a few moments of silence before he spoke up again, "I'm sure they loved you very much,"

She giggled, pulling her hands back over her face in a shy fashion.

Peter smiled, shifting positions on the ground so he could lift some weight off of his feet, "What's your name?"

The girl's voice was muffled from under her hands, but he could still make out what she said, "Olivia," She then peeked through the spaces between her fingers again and blinked at him.

"Olivia," Peter spoke quietly, "That's a very pretty name," He nodded at her, and the comment earned him another small chuckle. "Why don't we get you back home then?" He reached out his hand, giving her an option to take it, but didn't force her to in case she wasn't comfortable with it. But she immediately took it, bouncing around as Peter got to his feet.

Olivia then pointed with a small finger far down the street to an apartment building, "Gramma lives there," She sniffled, the unfamiliar colder air must have been getting to her a little bit, so Peter knew it was probably best if he got her home as soon as possible.

Peter nodded and started padding down the street at a pace that she was comfortable with, but quick enough to get her home in a matter of a few minutes.

When they reached the apartment building, he could see an older woman with a small blanket wrapped around her shoulders, looking desperately in all directions and calling out her name. That must be her.

Olivia suddenly let go of his hand and rushed towards her. He heard her squeal out her name and the woman whirrled around and gasped, bringing her hands up to her mouth, her eyes brimmed with tears. As soon as they reached one another, he could hear the woman's quiet, muffled sobs as she buried her face into her granddaughter's small jacket.

Peter watched, keeping a good distance and respecting their privacy. The woman then picked the toddler up in her arms, her teary eyes caught sight of him. A bright, thankful smile washed over her features as she whispered, "Thank you, so much..."

Peter nodded, unable to hold back his smile.

He made sure they made it back inside before letting out a sigh of relief, and shooting out a web to the nearest building and plopped down on the roof. His suit's eyes adjusted to the now gleaming city lights displayed before him. New York was beautiful at night, he had to admit he loved just looking at the city lights. He could honestly just watch them for hours.

A small vibration sent him back into reality, and he pulled out his phone, which displayed a message from Tony.

**From: Tony Stark (10:47 PM)**

Hey, kiddo. Dangerously close to your curfew aren't ya? Better get home before you get a whoopin'.

_Peter snorted, shaking his head in disbelief. Of course Tony had to know about the curfew. May must have told him about it._

**From: Peter Parker (10:48 PM)**

Okay mom, yikes

**From: Tony Stark (10:48 PM)**

Hey now, if you are passed your curfew then it's not just you getting put in the doghouse by your Auntie.

**From: Peter Parker (10:49 PM)**

Don't worry, Mr. Stark, I'll make it in time. :)

**From: Tony Stark (10:50 PM)**

Oh and before I forget, you still up for tomorrow at the compound? I've got some Iron Man updates we can work on and I could use some bouncy teen energy around the place.

**From: Peter Parker (10:52 PM)**

Oh! Yeah, sure!

**From: Tony Stark (10:52 PM)**

Great, see you then kiddo.

Peter had to admit how glad he was for Tony looking out for him and checking up on him. Even though he often complained about the "Baby Monitor" protocol and all the live footage tracking, he still was honestly glad to have the extra safety precautions. He knew Tony was just looking out for him, and Peter really did think of him as his father-figure.

Ever since Ben's death, there had been a gaping hole that left Peter feeling numb, but ever since Tony had met him at his apartment, that hole had started to fill.

Peter smiled down at his phone before pocketing it once again, safely in his suit. He shot a web at the nearest building in the direction of his own apartment building, knowing he only had a few minutes before time would strike 11:00 PM.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have some stuff planned for this fic, and some stuff will go down aaaaaaa  
anyways, if you have any ideas/suggestions, please comment! and even if you don't, comment anways please! it helps keep me going and inspires me
> 
> i don't really have a set update schedule yet, but once and if i do, i'll say something about it.
> 
> sorry for a bit of a boring chapter, i felt the need to build the story up a little before the drama starts happening *wheeze* :>


	2. comforts of home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so instead of sleeping i spent like a good 20 minutes just having ideas for this story pop into my head and boy oh boy am i excited *strained laugh*  
anyways im planning for this story to be significantly longer than my first story "don't forget your phone", and hopefully better because i was a bit disappointed with it :(  
anyways, enjoy!  
and thank you for 200 subscribes!

It had started to rain, and he was getting absolutely soaked.

Peter wasn't a big fan of the rain, especially once the average temperature during this time of year began to drop. The cold drops would soak into suit, which was not as insulating as he would have wished it to be, but he couldn't complain too much since he still couldn't get over the fact that Tony had made it for him. Tony Stark had made this multi-million dollar suit just for him, some ordinary, insignificant kid from Queens. He frankly would never get over that.

Rumbling thunder could be hurt in the distance, and some flashes of heat lightning reflected in the puddles down on the streets. He needed to get home before some storm came, and before his Aunt called the police to figure out where her "missing" nephew would be just because he was home a minute or two after his set curfew. Honestly, she had a tendency to overreact. One or two minutes over is not that big of a deal at all.

Of course, he couldn't blame her for being constantly on edge about him fighting against armed and dangerous criminals for hours on end.

The rain had begun to pick up a little more, the wind began to blow him around, causing his webs to become a bit off-target. Peter huffed, snatching his phone from his suit pocket to get a glance at the time.

_11:03 PM_

"Crap..." Peter muttered, mentally slapping himself. He didn't want Tony to get onto him again, remembering clearly what happened one other time he was late.

It was a Friday night, his curfew had already been put into place, but Peter had dumbly thought that since it was the weekend and didn't have school the next day he could push the limit just a _little _bit. There was a small and easy-to-solve break-in down the street from Mr. Delmar's. Webbing up a few ,not-so-bright bad guys would only take a few innocent minutes, right?

Wrong.

He ended up making it back to his apartment a whole hour and a half AFTER his curfew was up. When he did finally make it back, Aunt May had literally called the police and Peter came back to two vehicles blaring their red and blue lights in the front of his apartment building. Aunt May had to send away a couple not-so-amused officers who gave Peter some frustrated and even some in-explainable glances. Aunt May spent an hour just scolding him like he had disappeared for a week. And, on top of that, Aunt May had apparently had some pretty intense chat with Tony. He remembered Tony telling him all about that story, and it always sent shudders down Peter's spine. Tony and Peter really got thrown into the dog-house that day.

That uneasy feeling was replaced with a warm feeling of comfort flooding through him as his apartment building came into view. He was drenched in chilled rain-water, and he felt soaked to the bone, making him feel uncomfortably soggy and cold. He shot a final web right outside his window, wrapping around one of the metal rails of the fire escape. He landed on the metal with a thud, and winced after realizing how loud he had landed. He didn't want to disturb the neighbors. He froze for a few moments, his enhanced hearing poised to pick up any stirring, but there was none. Peter let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding and rolled up his unlocked window, climbing into his room.

The scent almost immediately hit him. Although, for how rare it was, it was a good scent, as May usually didn't have the greatest cooking skills. Peter's hands raised to his stomach, hearing the growl that emerged from it right after. He had almost forgotten about what time it was, and his face contorted.

He was just thankful that it was finally the weekend, but what help did that give him last time?

Peter quickly slipped out of his suit, pressing the button on the front and letting it peel away from his frame. After having thrown on some black t-shirt and comfortable grey sweatpants, he creaked his door open and peeked out. The lights were still all on, so May still had to be awake. Peter gulped, a bit of nervousness returning to the pit of his stomach.

He crept into the kitchen, peeking around corners to see if he could catch any sight of May.

A tap to his shoulder made him nearly jump right out of his skin and onto the ceiling. He whipped around, his hand to his chest, face to face with a not-so-happy looking May Parker.

"Where have you been..." May's eyes clearly looked panicked and flooded with worry. Her gaze bored right into his eyes, guilt dropping to his stomach and leaving him a queezy sensation.

"I-" Peter began, swallowing mid-sentence, "I was just running a little behind." Peter tilted his head down a little, giving May some sort of "puppy eyes" in attempt to take some pressure off the situation.

"Peter... We discussed this. 11:00 is tops. You know how I feel about you being out there later than that." May's eyes seemed to be pleading with him, "Who knows what kind of stuff goes on out there at that time of night."

"I'm sorry..." Peter's gaze shifted to the floor, he knew he should have been keeping better track of time, but he had always been bad about that.

May's anger seemed to dissolve and leave with the sigh she blew out, "Just- try to be a bit more responsible with time, okay?" May reached out her hand and wrapped it around Peter's dangling one. She tilted her head to the side in attempt to get her nephew to make eye contact.

"I will, I'm sorry, it won't happen again." He tried to promise, although he knew how easy it was going to be to accidentally break that promise, depending on what trouble he came across on patrol.

The hand left his and patted him gently on the shoulder, "Okay," she whispered, then continued as she turned towards a plate of lasagna she had out waiting for him.

"I made something decent for once, surprising, huh?" May's statement was followed with her chuckle. She pulled out a chair for Peter to sit at the dinner table, and Peter gladly took a seat.

"Thought something smelled good," Peter smiled down at his plate, the smell wafting to his nose and causing his stomach to growl yet another time. "Thanks," He grinned happily, taking a moment to glance at her to show her full appreciation.

She smiled, patting him on the back and glanced at his soaked curls, "Oh, and when your finished, it's shower time, Mister."

A shower sounded absolutely wonderful, so he nodded with a smile, chewing contently on his pasta.

-

Showering had made him feel so much more refreshed and relaxed. He had thrown on one of the hoodies Tony had given him, an MIT hoodie to be exact, the logo very obvious on the front. His mentor had told him that the hoodie had been his when he was Peter's age. His heart warmed at the memory.

_"Mr. Stark," Peter's chocolate brown orbs stared down at the black hoodie lying in his hands in awe, disbelief even, "Are you sure want me to have this?" He emphasized the word 'me' as if he wasn't worthy of such a gift._

_"Kid, I've never been so sure," Tony smiled down at the slightly shorter boy, then glanced up as if entering some sort of memory. "This was mine when I was just your age," Tony thought aloud, "Wow, 17 was definitely a long time ago. Make's me feel way too old." Tony chuckled, turning his gaze back to his kid._

_"I- I don't know what to say..." Peter looked back down at the MIT logo. "Thank you, Mr. Stark,"_

_"No need to say anything," Tony's eyebrow quirked, "And what did we talk about Peter? You can call me Tony, no need to sound so formal, it just makes me feel even older," Tony's hand lifted to his forehead in the most dramatic way possible. "I'm pretty sure you're the reason I've gained these gray hairs," Tony poked._

_Peter pushed at his shoulder, rolling his eyes and letting a soft chuckle escape his lips. "You know you love having me around," Peter teased._

_"You got that right, kiddo," Tony ruffled his hair, and another warm feeling flooded into Peter's heart. He wouldn't miss spending time with his father-figure for anything. Not a single thing in the whole world._

Peter couldn't help the little smile that crept across his features in response to the pleasant memory. He honestly couldn't wait to get back into Tony's lab to tinker around with him.

Tomorrow was Saturday. A relaxing weekend was finally here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please comment! it keeps me inspired to continue writing!  
and thank you for the lovely comments from the previous chapter :>


	3. upside down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry i didnt get to update last week, my grandpa passed away so i didnt really have the motivation or the time to update? but im doing better now so i should be able to get back into schedule. its just been a rough couple weeks so i hope you understand.
> 
> this chapter has a bit of a personal meaning to me, i used to play spyro: dawn of the dragon so much when i was younger, so i thought id throw it in in the first part
> 
> thought i'd give a little wave of nostalgia before stuff goes down ;o;  
i honestly don't know how i like this chapter, sorry it's so short agH

The sun was merciless the next morning, pouring through the blinds and hitting his eyes, making Peter's face scrunch at the sudden impact of brightness. He groaned and rolled over, his back to the window in all attempts to shield his eyes from the intrusive light.

Peter lay there for a few more minutes, although unable to fall back asleep. He let out a long, drawn out sigh and rose into a sitting position, pushing the covers back and throwing his feet over the side of the bed. The bed creaked when his weight was lifted off of it, then he strode towards his door and turned the handle.

His stomach rumbled, so he made his way to the kitchen first.

Typically, he was more of a “cereal for breakfast” type of kid, so that’s what he stuck with today. After pouring himself some cereal and scarfing it, he strode over towards the living area of his apartment.

Letting out a deep sigh, he plopped down onto the couch, slouched dramatically while thinking about what he should do today. He still had a couple hours before he would go to the Compound, so he had some time to spare.

At that thought, he squinted at the old playstation that lie dust covered right to the side of the television. A smile crept across his face, rolling off the couch and sitting right in front of the set and used his hand to wipe off some of the dust on the console.

He hadn't played on this thing in _years._ So, why not experience a little nostalgia?

-

The controller vibrated each time he took damage, fighting the monsters with all sorts of different chain attacks. Peter huffed in frustration as more of those weird, red, flying dragons chased after him. He loved the scenery and the graphics of this level, even if it was a pretty old game. But, these creatures always seemed to find him even if all he wanted was a chill, relaxing flight around the map.

He had been playing Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon for a couple hours already. The game had been a part of his childhood, besides Star Wars, and he still loved it to this day.

The Valley of Avalar was the name of the level. Frankly, in this level he just ditched the mission completely just to free fly around the map. He loved it. It brought a huge wave of nostalgia crashing down on top of him. He remembered playing some of the harder levels when he was younger and getting so worked up and frustrated about them. Ben had to tell him to stop playing multiple times because of how much the levels irked him. But that was a long time ago, and still he loved the game nonetheless.

The nostalgic experience continued for another 30 minutes or so before he was interrupted from his game when hearing the front door unlatch.

May had been away running errands since before he had woken up, so he put the game on pause and bounced up off the carpeted floor to greet her in the kitchen. "Morning, May," He greeted her with a smile, already taking some of the grocery bags out of her hands.

"Hey, Peter," She grinned, placing a quick kiss to his temple, gladly letting her nephew take the bags from her, "Just wake up?"

Peter placed them on the counter and began to unload the contents, "Nope," He popped the 'p' and paused before continuing, "Been up a little while playing on the PlayStation."

May took a quick glance at him before letting out a chuckle she didn't even bother to keep in, "Oh! My gosh you haven't played on that thing in years,"

Peter let out a small laugh of his own, and lifted a hand to rub the back of his neck, "Well, you know, it just sounded fun. I honestly missed it. Just been so busy, y'know?"

May gave him almost what seemed like a sad smile, then spoke, "It's alright to be busy, but you need to make sure you have some down time as well- to recharge."

Peter swallowed, knowing he didn't ever really have down time like he had before Spider-Man. Ever since he could remember, he would always need to be working his hands and didn't like the idea of sitting still for too long. In fact, at one time when he was about 5 or 6 he was at the grocery store with Ben and May, and they had just finished up gathering all the needed items. They were in line to checkout and the person in front of them was having a credit card error, and that line happened to be the only line open at that time. Why they didn't open up any more lines, he didn't know. But he had gotten restless and ended up wandering away from them without really realizing it. He wound up in a typical kids toy section of the store and was digging through a box of superhero plushies. After a bit of digging he picked up the only Iron Man one left in the box, his eyes sparkling with wonder while he held it tight to his chest.

Although, when he turned to head back to his aunt and uncle, he didn't recognize where he was. His little heart started to pick up it's pace as peeked around corners and ran through isles. Peter remembered sobbing and calling out their names.

After probably about 15 minutes or so, they finally found him curled up near one of the corners of the store, the Iron Man plushie pulled up under his chin and held it as if it was the last thing existing.

Actually, he hadn't gotten in trouble for that slip up that day, but he was corrected enough by the panicked glances of both his relatives.

He did wind up taking home the Iron Man plushie that day.

-

After a good half hour of putting away the last of the groceries, he made his way back to the television set to continue playing. May decided to join him in the living room and read a book, and Peter made sure to keep the volume low enough not to disturb her own down time.

He was nearing the end of the level when he heard May shuffle around. At that point he didn't think it was necessary to turn to look at what she was up to, and assumed she was just adjusting her position. But she didn't stop.

A few more minutes past and he suddenly swore he heard a small gasp. His head shot around to look at her, and he was right. Aunt May had her arms wrapped around her stomach, her book set aside, and her face was contorted as if in pain.

He immediately put, more like threw, the controller down, not even bothering to press pause; Aunt May was WAY more important that some old video game. His breath was caught in his throat as he turned completely around and began to step closer to her.

"May...? Are you-" He stopped, his eyes widening as Aunt May doubled over even further. "May!" He got to his knees to come to her aid, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Whats wrong?!"

She let out a gasp, as if she was unable to breathe properly. Why didn't his spidey sense warn him of this?

The bearly audible sob that escaped her lips felt like a bullet tearing straight through his heart. He was panicking, spots surrounded his vision, dancing. _WhatdoIdoWhatdoIdoWhatdoIdo- _His brain had stopped working, it was set on autopilot now. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't speak, he couldn't _think. _ "M-M-"

When she fell limp, he felt as if his world had then been turned upside down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please comment! it keeps me inspired to continue!  
thanks for all the wonderful ones on the last chapter ♥


	4. it felt like eternities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really like this chapter?? i put a lot of effort into it :>  
its even making me scREAM tho- dear gosh
> 
> anways- this is make up for missing one week :')

He had to do something, ANYTHING.

A sob tore from his throat, May's body falling limp in his arms. He couldn't breathe.

He couldn't FREAKING breathe!

Peter opened his mouth, preparing to scream her name, but his vocal chords refused to function properly and all that came out was a raspy sob. Her eyelids now shut, her hands cold and her entire form almost completely lifeless. But, a small, yet weak, _thump thump _of her heart still rang through his ears.

He had to call for help. _Now._

The spideysense still prickled the back of his neck, increasing every single second. No more time could be wasted, he couldn't afford it. _She _couldn't afford it. So, he got to his feet, gently propping her up as best he could against the couch. Her skin was pale, facial features blank. It was almost as if he was staring straight at a ghost. The thought of this sent even more shivers down his spine.

He didn't waste any more time, his heart was thudding at an incredible pace that he sure was not healthy, but he didn't care. The spiderling raced down the hall, the panic attack he was experiencing forcing himself to lose almost complete control of his body. He accidentally rammed his shoulder into the protruding corner at the start of the hall and wincing in pain, but he kept moving as fast as his legs could carry him.

He burst through his door, nearly knocking it off of his hinges. The spots in his vision worsened every minute, he could barely see.

But, he fumbled around for his phone, accidentally knocking his bedside table over in the process, the phone falling with it.

He didn't have time to complain, he dove to the floor with it, sweaty hands jumbled with the phone until he was sure he had a steady grip. Pressing the power button, he wasted no time and dialed 911.

The ringing drove him insane. _Pick up! C'mon! C'MON!_ It felt like an eternity before the emergency line was picked up, and he was greeted with a lady's voice on the other end.

"911 what is your emergen-"

"Please!" Peter finally let himself break, his voice cracked with sobs and sniffles. "M-My aunt- Sh- She's not waking up! Sh-She's in pain!" He realized how young and small he must have sounded, but couldn't bring himself to care.

"Okay, sweetie, just tell us an address alright?" The kind voice on the other end responded.

Peter quickly gave her the address and apartment number, hoping she could understand him, although he doubted it from how frantic and panicked he was. All his words were jumbled together, letting the words out with only one breath. When he was finished, he nearly gasped, his lungs begging for air.

_"Help-" "On the way-" "Stay-" "-line," "-okay?" "-going to be okay,"_

All he could hear was the ringing in his hears, he couldn't breathe. He needed to be strong for May, but she swore he was about to pass out. _No, stay awake, Peter! _He could almost hear her screaming that to him.

_DizzydizzydizzyImgonnapassoutImgonnapassoutNoNoNo!_

_I left her alone!_

Peter nearly dropped his phone when sprinting out of his little quarters and back down the hall. He kept cursing himself, over and over again. _Why did I leave her for that long?!_

The pale form of his aunt flashed at him from the couch after rounding the corner of the hallway once again. It sucked the breath out of him, it sucked the _life _out of his entire existence. What was happening to her? _Why _was this happening to her?! Peter let out a stifled sob, his phone dangling from a shaky hand, the lady's voice still emitting from it. But, he couldn't bring himself to put it back to his ear.

Why were they _taking so dang long?!_

Peter raced over to her, holding one of her unusually frigid hands in his own warm one, unknowingly squeezing it in some sort of rhythmic pattern. "I-I-" He was slowly suffocating, "It's going to be o-okay- May- May- it's going to be okay!" The last part of his statement ended up drowned out by his loud sobs. Tears were streaming down his face freely like a river bursting out of a dam that's been smashed to smithereens.

He crawled up onto the couch, knees pulled up onto his chest and completely pressed up against her. Arms draped over her shoulders, a head buried into her neck. Tear drops trickled down onto her jeans creating little dark splotches on the already dark material. The boy, who was so very dependent on his mother-figure, just sobbed and wailed, occasionally whispering her name.

He couldn't lose her too.

-

It had only taken the police about 5-7 minutes to get to the apartment complex. But those minutes felt like _years... eternities._

Peter had still been glued to May's side when they arrived and the emergency medical team had to literally pry him off of his aunt. He had kicked, screamed, and refused to let her go. The super strength flowing through his veins kept him cemented to her side, but when another wave of dizziness started to swell inside his head, he lost some of his grip which resulted in them being able to successfully take her out of his hold. At that point Peter had lost it, and everything was a blur from there.

When they did eventually arrive at the hospital, after the heart wrenching ambulance ride that also seemed to take an entire millennium, Peter watched with glassy eyes as his aunt was carried off in the bright yellow stretcher and into the Emergency wing of the hospital. For some reason, they wouldn't let him follow because of the likelihood of emergency surgery, and even if necessary, resuscitate, and that they knew would crush him even more if he watched.

He simply had to sit, to endure more unwanted waiting. He had no idea what to do, he could barely even regulate his own breathing. Thankfully, though, he was by himself in the waiting room.

Phone vibrations snapped him out of his smothering trances. It nearly knocked him out of the chair he was sitting in.

_Vmmmm...Vmmmm...Vmmmm...Vmmmm..._

Tears irritated his already swollen eyes, he could barely see the caller ID through his blurred vision. One hand came up to swiped at his eyes, ridding them as best as he could of the salty liquid. He could see the ID now, and the very picture of Tony Stark was staring up at him. The name flickered and danced on the screen, almost as if it was begging for him just to press "answer." So that's exactly what he did.

The voice came from the other end first. That _wonderful _voice of his father-figure spoke to him through the phone's speakers, the audio crisp and clear.

"Hey, Kid. Just checking up on yah. Getting a little bit late and Hap was supposed to pick you up like half an hour ago. But he said you weren't coming out. You alright, K-?"

"Mr. Stark..." His voice broke, his episode of non-stop tears evident in his voice.

There was silence on the other end, he knew he couldn't have tried to put up some sort of facade and pretend he was okay, because he wasn't.

"Kid-" Tony breathed. "Peter- ha-have you been crying?" Tony's voice heightened in pitch at the end of the sentence, breaking oh so slightly. "Pete- what's going-"

"It's May," Peter cut in, "Mr. Stark- It's May," He couldn't hold it in any longer, the hysterical episode of sobs was sinking it's teeth straight into him. He could feel himself faltering again.

He could hear metal clanging and shuffling noises sounding from the small speakers almost as if he literally had dropped every single thing that he had been working on. On top of that came Tony's voice, "Okay- Okay, Kid- Just hang on, I'm almost there, I'll be right there. I'm coming-"

Dots and black splotches swarmed Peter's vision again, he wasn't getting the oxygen his body desperately needed. He felt like he was choking on his hysteria.

He ended up passing out on the way to the bathroom to throw up everything he ate that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for the encouraging comments last chapter about my grandpa, it literally means the world to me ♥
> 
> please comment! it keeps me motivated to write!  
(btw, whenever i get a comment, i almost always jump back on the story and write more, so yeah, it really does motivate me!)


	5. paranoid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have come to say sorry  
this is kinda a filler chapter, Tony's side of the phone call.  
AND ive been sick, and am super sick today but i decided to write. sorry if its not all that descriptive because my brain is a foggy mess at this moment.  
and sorry this was a bit late, im trying to stay on target with my schedule. (Usually updating Fridays/Saturdays) but it hasn't worked out too well because of school and sickness.  
but- i hope you enjoy this before things spiral even further down hill, got some angst and whumped planned thats a bit of a surprise for you all but it gives me anXiETy but i regret nothing.

The only noise present was the subtle _tap tap tap_ of Tony's pencil against his lab desk. Not even his typical work music played in the background. In fact, he hadn't been working at all for the past hour and a half.

After receiving a call from Happy about Peter not exiting his apartment building and not even answering his calls, Tony's worrying had spiked. 

_"Tony, I've been sitting out here for a while and the kid isn't even responding to me. He's not picking up his phone and if he doesn't come out within the next couple minutes I'm lea-"_

_"What?" Tony cut Happy off, not even bothering to apologize. "He's not?" He wasn't worried at first, nah, he knew the kid was busy._

_"No," Happy replied, "I've been out here, I swear, for about half an hour and nothing, zilch," _

_Tony was about to respond, but Happy beat him to it. "I've even tried May's number, and she hasn't responded either. Do you think something's up?"_

_No. Happy was just paranoid... HE was just paranoid. "Hap, I'm sure everything's fine. Just wait a little longer, the kid's got a busy life, so does his aunt." He managed to say, forcing his anxiety deep down even though his gut was telling him not to ignore it._

_There was a deep sigh on the other end, clearly full of frustration and a hint of worry, "Probably,"_

_He knew Happy had a soft spot for Peter, and it had grown for the past year or so._

_"I'll call him if he doesn't come out soon, just keep me posted," Tony finally said in order to break the silence._

Then the call had ended.

_Maybe he just slept in or something... Yeah, that's it. Maybe he just slept in until... _He checked his watch for the upteenth time. _4 PM? Yeah teenagers do that sort of thing I guess. Need tons of sleep, stay up all night. _

Tony was rambling in his own head, and he knew it. He was anxious for his kid, but he unsuccessfully was trying to contain it. Peter has honestly never been late to show up for a lab day with him, and this just completely threw him off. In fact, he'd usually get here early to ramble on about whatever Star Wars plot theories he discovered on the internet. Gosh, he was turning into such a sap for this kid.

Of course he would never admit that to anybody. Not even for Peter, really. Although, he was pretty sure Peter had already figured that out by now. Tony had to admit that he enjoyed every split second he had with his so- intern. His _intern._ Even if the kid would never stop talking, Tony couldn't ask for a single thing better than to be in the same room with that wired boy. Even though he swore the teenager was the root reason of his graying hair, he was keeping him alive and young at heart.

A small sniffle was the only sound made now as he tilted his head downward, his eyes fluttering shut. Why was he worrying? _He's fine. He's totally fine._

Paranoid. Yes, that was what he was. He swore every minute he spent with that kid he thought of him more like his so- No, he was his intern. Yes, he cared about him unconditionally like- like a father would care about his son but- He was not this kid's dad. The great Tony Stark just simply cut out to be the dad-type. Heck, he couldn't even care for himself let alone a 16 year old kid.

Even after arguing with himself over and over again, consistently, deep down he knew. He knew he thought of Peter as the son he never had, and this inner conflict frustrated him.

He loved the kid nonetheless.

The coffee maker noisily did it's job at the other side of the lab, reminding him that he could grab yet another cup, but he was still just too stuck in his stupor to bother moving. A small ding erupted from the speakers of his phone, and his eyes drifted down to the screen.

**Happy Hogan: (4:08 PM)**

Kid's still not out.**  
**

He blinked. The twinge in his stomach growing. Dang, he _was_ paranoid.

His left hand swiped his phone off of the desk in front of him, the other hand throwing down the pencil he had been tapping. The screen lit up and Tony quickly scrolled through his many contacts to find Peter's name and pressed call.

A breath escaped his lungs that he didn't know he had been holding when the call was received and picked up. The call time started ticking and Tony was forever grateful as he pulled it up to his ear.

He had tried to hide his worry, but his voice wavered near the end of the sentence, causing Tony to mentally smack himself. "Hey, Kid. Just checking up on yah. Getting a little bit late and Hap was supposed to pick you up like half an hour ago. But he said you weren't coming out. You alright, K-?" 

A shaky, choked voice cut him off, and completely threw him off. Tony swore his heart just took a nose dive towards the pit of the earth. "Mr. Stark..." That voice, it was _not _supposed to sound like that. No sir. Tony's breathing picked up, a lump formed in his throat. Now he was _really _paranoid and he didn't speak for a few moments, still utterly shocked.

"Kid-" Tony breathed. "Peter- ha-have you been crying?" Tony's voice heightened in pitch at the end of the sentence, breaking oh so slightly. "Pete- what's going-" He was cut off again, and his heart sunk deeper.

"It's May," Peter cut in, "Mr. Stark- It's May," Thats when the sobs broke through. It ripped Tony's heart to shreds and smothered his world with it. _SomethinghappenedSomethinghappened I should have listened to my gut-_

In that instant, FRIDAY had already known to get his suit ready. Tony was wasting _no _more time. He had to get to wherever Peter was and fast. He had to be there. He _had _to. Metal started to clamp around his limbs, building itself up around his frame. The window pulled open just nearly in time, a split second sooner and he would have crashed right through it, not that he would have cared. "Okay- Okay, Kid- Just hang on, I'm almost there, I'll be right there. I'm coming-"

The boy didn't respond, and after a few moments he _swore _he heard a thud from the other end. "_PETER?! Kid- Kid stay on the line! Are you okay? KID!" _ His ears rang from the intensity flooding from his own voice. He felt like he was going to throw up.

Thankfully, he was able to track Peter's location through the phone call. The coordinates flashed in front of his eyes, straining them and forcing him to squint for a few split seconds.

Something was so, _so_, wrong, and Tony swore to himself was going to fix it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all for the lovely comments! commenting keeps me going!


	6. it's alright, i'm right here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i tried to make this chapter a bit longer for you, and it's full of fluff and cuddles until things go downhill again :(
> 
> thank you for the wonderful feedback and all the kudos and comments! i love you guys <3

Peter's head was pounding.

He could have sworn the entire building he was in was spinning like a top, and his brain was refusing to give him any hints as to what had taken place.

The kid let out a grown, a puff of warm air escaped his lungs and against something soft and warm below his cheek. Everything was fuzzy, and he could hear absolutely everything even though his ears were ringing as aggressively as the fire alarm at school . From the tap of shoes of someone walking down the hall to the irritating beeping what seemed to come in all directions of the facility, he could hear it all.

Then, he heard an ambulance.

_The ambulance was here._

Now he remembered. His eyes shot open and he leaped away from whatever he was resting against. He instantly regretted that swift action, however, when the whole room spun dangerously, and his still blurry vision was covered in black and red spots. When he started to lean to the side and nearly had nearly taken a tumble, something grabbed his shoulders, keeping him firm and steady.

He panicked, not knowing who or even _what _grabbed him. He had to protect May, He had to-

"Kid!"

That voice, he knew that voice. He know he did. That was the voice that filled him with belonging and made him feel loved and wanted.

Tony.

What was he doing here? Why was he in his apartment? Where was the ambulance?

"Kid," The voice called again, "Kid, listen to me, it's alright. You're alright. It's just me." Tony sounded tired and unbelievably stressed, but his voice was clearly laced with care and concern. Peter knew Tony, he was probably had inflicted... or _was_ inflicting some sort of panic attack on him. This slammed Peter with unbelievable guilt and shame.

Warm arms held him steady and still, supporting his weight so that he would not topple over again. But even as Mr. Stark's hushed whispers of reassurance fluttered towards his ears, he couldn't hear them. Confusion had thrown a wall in just the right angle to block those reassurances, and it was deafening.

"Mr. Stark," Peter was in the dark, he could barely see straight. "W-Where's the ambulance? I heard it! I-" Peter paused, his breath caught in his throat. "Wait- W-Where's May?" He could feel his heart beat pound through his skull.

The boy pulled back. That firm grip, his emotional stronghold, disappeared when he slipped out of his mentor's grasp. He had to find May. Someone took her, it couldn't be the emergency medical team... They hadn't gotten in here yet. He would have heard them, he swore it.

Peter stumbled a few steps back, his head snapping in all directions, pounding like a drum to the rhythm of his beating heart. Everything was covered in a tunnel-vision overlay that spread to each corner of his sight. It was like a dream, actually. Maybe this was all a dream. He hoped, _prayed _even that this was all just a nightmare, a fake reality. May was fine, she was. Wait- was she?

The firm hands were back to his shoulders, and he pulled against them. Only this time, they refused to budge.

"Peter, hey! Look at me," The familiar voice was back as well, he knew that voice, "Look at me, kid, dang it," The man cupped his face so that he was forced to make eye contact. When his eyes met the comforting, chocolate brown of his mentors, the spinning sensation seemed to recede slightly. At least he could focus on someone to keep his head straight. He wasn't going insane- right?

Quiet shushing caused his eyelids to flutter lower. He let out a breath that he hadn't known he had been holding, and it came out shaky.

"That's it, kiddie, focus on me."

So that's what he did.

He let his eyes rise to meet the warm, comforting yet concerned ones of his mentor. The spinning sensation continued to retreat and the tunnel vision slowly faded out. He could breathe again, staying focused on Tony.

A hand was then placed on his upper back to redirect him back to the comfortable couch. A gentle push helped remind him to sit down, and he fell limp as soon as he did. All the energy had been sucked out of him even though he didn't even exert himself physically. It was honestly all in his head.

"There you go, throw your feet up there, bud," Tony's frame was now clear in his vision, and not looking as sharp as he usually would. He sounded tired, yes, but he also _looked _it. Dark rings hung beneath his glassy orbs, his face slightly pale and his hair was ruffled as though he had ran a hand through it a couple times. He wore one of his typical lab outfits, all stained and smelled of gasoline and expensive cologne.

"We're at the hospital, kiddie, they are trying to figure out what's going on with your aunt. It's alright," the reassurances continued for a while longer.

The teen must have been spaced out for a while, deep in his thoughts, because when he blinked himself out of them, a soft blanket was tucked around his small, yet well-built frame. He couldn't remember grabbing the blanket, nor even doing as he was asked and pulling his feet up so that he lay nearly horizontal on the furniture.

His gaze landed on his mentor, who was sitting in the open space near his feet. The man was occasionally giving very intentional glances towards him as he worked on something on his phone. Tony looked a little healthier now, which lifted some of the heavy load worry that was placed on his heart, but not as much as he wished. Some of the coloring had returned to his mentor's face, and his hands weren't as shaky. Peter blew out a little relieved sigh. Although, his stomach still twisted with anxiety when it came to May. It hurt him, it really did, straight down to his core.

The room they were in was a cozy little waiting room. Now that he could see straight, he could observe the details that lied within the rectangular walls. Warm lighting streamed down from the bulbs above, bright enough to see and dim enough to comfortably rest. There were two exits, one with which had a bathroom off to one side, which is where Peter was originally headed before he fell over. Both exits lead out to the hallway where there were rooms for the patients.

He couldn't see much of the rest of the room, since the top of the couch blocked most of his vision. He didn't have enough energy or motivation to look around further anyway, and he doubted Tony would let him stand either, so this didn't bother him.

He then focused on how cool the room's temperature really was, and it made a shiver crawl up his back and neck. Exhaustion started to take over as well, and he knew he needed to rest. But it was just so dang cold.

If Peter were totally coherent, he would have scolded himself for what he did next. The boy sat up, tugging the blanket off of him and pulling it around his shoulders instead. He earned a stern glance from the man in front of him, and Peter could tell he was ready to jump up and push him back down again, but he didn't. Peter took the opportunity to carefully crawl over towards Tony and plopped down, head resting right over his heart. Tony didn't tense up at all, it was like he welcomed it. He did hesitate for only a slight second, but soon there was a hand combing through his wild curls, and soft hums filled his ears.

Peter was asleep before the gentle kiss was placed on the top of his head.


	7. white canaries and yellow finches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is based off of what the hospital i was at a couple weeks ago with my grandpa looked like. they had a little bird cage that filled me with happiness and i loved it so much.
> 
> things are not going so hot right now, there's been a couple deaths in a span of a week and both of them are a burden on me as well as a family im really close to. so everything's been kind of a mess.
> 
> but- im very happy with this chapter! enjoy :) and happy november 1st!

**Tony's P.O.V.**

Peter continued to sleep well into the morning the next day. The billionaire was still in his original spot on the couch, propping Peter up against his chest. He didn't admit to himself that he was indeed coddling this boy, even though deep down he knew. Tony couldn't help worrying about the fact that the boy hadn't even moved a muscle besides the rising and falling of his chest. With all his heart he hoped that the kid was getting the rest that he needed. Honestly, Tony had become accustomed to such few hours of sleep a night that he couldn't even recall what the recommended amount was. He also knew that teenagers needed more sleep than adults did, so in that case he decided to wait to update Peter on May.

Tony hadn't slept much that night, but he was glad Peter was getting the rest that he needed. Gosh, the kid's been through too much and he didn't deserve any of it at all. It frustrated him. If he could fight off all of the world's curses being thrown at his kid, he would in a heartbeat. No doubt about it.

The kid's features looked so peaceful, but Tony knew that it was just a covering from what was really going on inside. The tips of his mouth tilted downward, his gaze steady on Peter, refusing to lift his gaze as if some parental instinct had kept it glued entirely.

He was surprised that the boy didn't even stir after he had gotten up to speak with the nurse on news about May. He had to carefully lay Peter down in a way that wouldn't wake him, and he managed it. How? He didn't know. He would have thought with Peter's heightened senses, he would have picked up on something.

Tony shrugged that off, he didn't want to wake the boy out of his much needed rest. He would discuss the topic when his kid woke up.

**Peter's P.O.V.**

Sleep had, peculiarly, come easily to Peter that night. He slept a dreamless sleep leaning against Tony's side. The boy never stirred for the longest while, not even as a few other families wandered into the waiting room. All of them, eventually, had wandered their way back out to probably check on their hospitalized family member/friend.

However, he was pulled out of his slumber when Tony moved away, but kept as still as possible to not raise any suspicion from his mentor. His plan had worked to his surprise.

When he was sure Tony had rounded around the couch and out of sight, he pealed his eyes open just slightly, and even though the lights were dimmed, they still cut straight through his skull and shot a headache what felt like a bullet straight through the center of his brain. Peter couldn't help but wince at the unexpected pain. After shutting his eyes tightly, he tried to slowly raise his hand slowly and carefully over his eyes to shield them if at all possible, since the light for some reason still seared past his eyelids.

When the whispering started, he held his breath, straining his ears to pick out parts of the conversation. He could tell that Tony was being cautious about how controlled the volume of the whispering was, considering Peter's enhanced hearing.

Bits and pieces of the conversation he could understand, but not much to get a real solid context. One thing he did know, however, was that the subject was focused on May. He was about ready to jump straight out of that couch and run someone over to get the information he wanted about May's health report, but he heard footsteps before he could even move a muscle. Then, his front was gently lifted by gentle and caring hands and then the couch cushion sunk lower. The aroma of the same expensive cologne returned and soon he was propped back up against Tony's chest, his head resting directly over his heart and a hand combing through his hair.

The beating of the man's heart lulled him back into a well-needed slumber.

\- ✧ -

Peter didn't mean to sleep 4 more hours, and when he did wake up and realized where he was, his breath hitched in his throat. 

_Wait._

Out of sudden realization, the warmth he had grown used to throughout the night had vanished. That beating heart drumming it's tune beneath him was gone.

Peter was wide awake now, his eyes had shot open and he actually did manage to fly out of the couch, nearly slamming into a nearby wall. The room started to spin again, his blood not quite quick enough to catch up with the sudden movement. Everything was tunnel vision, and multicolored spots pooled into his sight.

A shaking hand on the wall to steady him, Peter took a moment to compose himself, the ringing in his ears slowly fading away. Once he was sure he could move without completely toppling over, Peter went right back to business.

His eyes shot towards the plain, tan-colored couch that he had risen from. A blue, rumpled blanket rested still on the surface. Tony must have tucked that around him while he was asleep.

Peter didn't pay attention to that detail for too long, because he was too focused on figuring out where Tony had gone off to. The man was no-where in the room, and that fact made his heart rise into his throat, threatening to choke him.

He wobbled around the corner of the waiting room and into the small hallway, as quickly as he could without falling on his face. Brown eyes shot over to a closed door on the other side of the wall, revealing a small sliver of light appearing in the small crevice beneath the door. Peter let out a long-needed sigh of relief, hearing some rummaging behind said closed door.

Why he was so on edge, he didn't know.

Well, actually... he did.

Peter's eyes shifted down to the carpet below his sock-covered feet. Feeling a bit of dampness in his eyes threatening to spill over. Now it was all coming back to him why he was even in this room in the first place.

A small half-sigh escaped through his lips when he heard it. It was a sound he wasn't really expecting to hear inside this building. The spidey-sense didn't send off any warning signals, so there was no threat, at least he hoped. But _chirping_ wasn't really a threatening sound... right?

His eyes slowly dragged across the room, searching for the source of this small, chirping sound.

When his gaze landed on a fairly large cage actually fairly near the couch he had been sleeping on, the pieces of the puzzle started getting put together.

Little balls of feathers flapped around the large cage, as well as some perching on tiny, horizontal swinging sticks, tweeting to the other birds in the cage. Some of the little creatures were covered in white feathers with hints of gray and slightly pink beaks, and only a few were bright yellow and black. 

_White Canaries and Yellow Finches. _Peter remembered the names. He also remembered May's love for birds. She would teach him all about the different species of the small, feathered animals. She had this book, slim but pretty long up and down. It was full of all sorts of different kinds of birds. May had happily put a tiny bird feeder on the balcony of their apartment, just so she could show Peter all the different kinds of birds that appeared in her handbook.

_"Hey, Peter! C'mere!" May whispered, loud enough to catch the little boy's attention, but hushed so that what was outside their open window would not spook and fly away._

_The 6 year old literally dropped everything he was doing, jumping off of the stool he was sitting on while building a LEGO Star Ship, and smacking his bare feet on the tiles below. The tile was cold and so was the rest of the house due to Uncle Ben having to come in and out of the chilled wintry wonderland that was outside._

_May held a finger over her lips, and the other hand waving him over. Peter stopped mid step and imitated her "hush" hand gesture, placing a small finger over his sealed lips, but a huge smile still tugged at them._

_When he finally tip-toed rest of the way over to his aunt, he was lifted onto her lap and received a gentle kiss to his hairline._

_May then carefully raised her hand to point at feather-covered animal sitting on the feeder, not hesitating to peck at the seeds and consume as much as it's little body would allow. The bird was covered in mostly a silky black, but the top of it's wing, near it's back, was highlighted with the brightest of oranges._

_"That's a Red-Winged Black Bird, Peter," May paused, her eyes resting on the now-chirping creature, "do you know what's very special about him?"_

_Peter's wide, adorning eyes tore from the bird and directly into his aunt's, filled with child-like wonder and amazement, "Umm, no... What?" Peter's legs were swinging back and forth, eager for the answer to satisfy his curiosity._

_"Well," May began to explain in a hushed tone, "that little guy is one of the first signs of spring," May's loving smile was contagious, "Which means, all this cold weather should be going away and warming up again soon,"_

_Peter wiggled with excitement, letting out an astonished gasp, "Spring is almost here? I can't wait! How long? Me and Ned can go swimming!"_

_A chuckle escaped the woman's lips, "Ah, Petey, it's going to be a little while before it get's warm enough for swimming,"_

_Peter did look a little disappointed, his lip sticking out as if he were pouting, an "oh" escaping him. But the disappointment soon faded when May raised a hand to comb through his wild, brunette curls._

_"In all due time, sweetheart," May smiled down at him, holding him close as they continued to watch the still happily-chirping bird._

A smile had crept across his lips at the memory. He missed that time of his life, not a single worry came to him when he was that young. But, boy things do sure change, don't they?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the drama is SOON my friends.... soon :')


End file.
